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Federal subsidies for commodity crops are subsidizing junk food additives like high-fructose corn syrup, at a rate that would buy 20 Twinkies for each taxpayer every year, according to MASSPIRG’s new report, “Apples to Twinkies 2013.” Meanwhile, limited subsidies for fresh fruits and vegetables would buy one half of an apple per taxpayer.

At a time when America faces high obesity rates and tough federal budget choices, taxpayer dollars are funding the production of junk food ingredients. Since 1995, the government has spent $292.5 billion on agricultural subsidies, $19.2 billion of which have subsidized corn- and soy-derived junk food ingredients.

Bay Staters with cancer, heart disease, epilepsy and other conditions have been forced to pay an average of 10 times more than necessary for at least 20 blockbuster drugs, according to a report released today by MASSPIRG and Community Catalyst.

Too often, consumers are forced to shoulder a heavy financial burden, or even go without needed medicine, due to the high cost of brand-name drugs. Our research indicates that one significant cause is the practice called “pay for delay,” which inflates the drug prices paid by tens of millions of Americans.

The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act (Credit CARD Act) bans hair-trigger interest rate increases and other unfair credit card practices. The Act goes into effect today and makes it illegal for credit card companies to profit by tricking customers into paying late and then tripling the interest rate on their balances.

A new report shows that many states are making dramatic improvements in websites designed to disseminate information about their share of the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), while others have failed to make vital information available.

Today’s Supreme Court decision in Citizen’s United vs. Federal Election Commission has blown open the gates, in place for decades, that kept the most powerful corporations constrained in election financing.